Thursday, October 2, 2008

Regency Fashion for October

Well if you dropped by over to casablancaauthors.blogspot.com for the launch you would have danced and partied all day. But now back to our regular programming. But before I do let me remind you that my newsletter will go out this week, so if you haven't signed up and would like to do so, you will find the button in the sidebar.

Well we are moving into Autumn, so let us see what fashions we have for cooler blustery days.

I really like this first one from 1814.

This is from La Belle Assemblee.

Jaconet muslin high dress, with a triple flounce of muslin embroidery round the edge, and slightly scalloped; a row of worked points surmounts the top flounce. The body is composed of jaconet muslin and letting-in lace; the former cut to broad strips and sewed full to the latter, which is about an inch in breadth; this body is made up to the throat, but has no collar. Long sleeve of muslin and lace to correspond with the body.

Spenceret of rose coloured velvet of a form the most elegantly simple and tasteful that we have seen; it is very short in the waist, and tight to the shape; it is ornamented at the top by a lcse frill, and is cut so as to cover the bosom but to leave the neck bare.

I love that they call it a spenceret. And I must say rose coloured velvet has a particularly cosey sound. Because she is wearing the spenceret, we don't see much of the body, so we imagine panels of lace let into the muslin. Or I do anyway. What I really liked about this was the length. So clearly cut short for ease of walking.

Because we had a walking dress, I thought we should go for one evening outfit. This one is from 1812.

This is also from Belle Assemblee

Round dress of cambric muslin, cut low in the neck, demi train and long sleeves; waist something shorter than they have been worn; very low in the neck, and trimmed round the bosom with a scolloped lace, which falls over and is put on broad at the bosom and narrower at the shoulders.

Hat of Pomona green satin, turned up in front, and low on each side of the face. A Spanish button and loop in front, and a long white ostrich feather, which falls to the right side. Shawl of the same material as the hat, thrown over the shoulders carelessly, and its effect left to the taste of the wearer, the two ends, which fall in front, are finished with amber silk tassels, and trimmed to correspond.

Hair dressed very full at the sides, and parted in front. Pomona slippers. White spangled fan; and white kid gloves.

For me the mention of the white spangled fan does it. I want a white spangled fan! I must have been a magpie in an earlier incarnation. I love all that glitters.

Well next week we have our usual flora and fauna article. And lots of excitement towards the end of the month when I will be signing books with Eloisa James. Last week I signed with Jo Beverly. Such a nice nice lady.